I have the motor on a stand, the 4spd tranny on a tire in the drive way, the spindles are separated from the tranny, and everything is off the cradle because I bought a newer condition cradle. I just mounted new tranny and motor mounts to the cradle.
What is the sequence of putting these components on the cradle?
Should I mount the tranny first and the mate the motor to it and finally the axles with spindles(push headless into the tranny and put the spindles down onto the ball joints) ?

Is that the correct sequence being that the tranny and axles are disassembled and separated and not attached to the cradle yet?

Do I just tilt the tranny back to get the engine to mate to it (input shaft into cutch and bell housing bolts.)? Or do I try to mate the tranny while the motor is suspended by the engine hoist?
As is I have to install the clutch and pressure plate when the motor is swinging from the engine hoist because the clutch and PP won't fit while on the stand.

Or do I mount the engine first and then the tranny onto the cradle as if i Was taking the tranny off for clutch job?

Thanks
Louis

Many more questions to come !

------------------
===Always trying to find time to work on cars===
Louis Duet
Baldwin, Long Island, NY
"My mind spins like helicopter blades." -G. Rossdale
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Blue" <= '85 Fiero GT
3800sc series 2 swap in progress
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Boo" <= '81 Delorean DMC-12
VIN #5835
Stock PRV engine
Peugot 604 Intake manifold
Exhaust headers
Anti-3rd brake light

When I did mine I had everything on the cradle except the motor. Attached the pp and clutch while engine was in the air. Make sure you torque it all down right

I did the same as last poster

I usually join the engine and transmission, then install onto the cradle....

It is easier to assemble the powertrain install the mounts and then place it on the cradle on the auto swap. On the mauuals we usually leave the trans in place and then drop the engine with the flywheel and clutch assembly in. That assumes that the trans mounts are in good shape.
------------------
" THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Flotech Afterburner Exhaust, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite.
"THE COLUSSUS"
87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H
" ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "

[This message has been edited by Dennis LaGrua (edited 05-30-2015).]

Thanks for the input guys! I rolled the engine out of the back boathouse across the grass using plywood pieces and now it's in the driveway. I am thinking of blocking the motor up and joining the four speed to it and then dropping (not literally hopefully) the whole thing onto the cradle and then putting axles on and spindles to control arms. I sure wish I had someone here. I'm trying to do this all alone.
I think I'll try a tire with some wood beams to try to stabalaize the motor on the ground and hopefully it won't get damaged.

I wish I knew how to successfully post pictures here. This is quite a sight!

------------------
===Always trying to find time to work on cars===
Louis Duet
Baldwin, Long Island, NY
"My mind spins like helicopter blades." -G. Rossdale
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Blue" <= '85 Fiero GT
3800sc series 2 swap in progress
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Boo" <= '81 Delorean DMC-12
VIN #5835
Stock PRV engine
Peugot 604 Intake manifold
Exhaust headers
Anti-3rd brake light

[This message has been edited by Lou and Blue (edited 05-30-2015).]

Hang the engine from your cherry picker and set it on something (wood blocks, tire, old wheel) to keep it stable, the cherry picker will keep it from falling over.
The four speed tranny doesn't weigh much, its easy to handle by yourself to spline into the clutch.
I use the 1000# harbor freight dollies under each component; level them up, preset the tranny splines and they slide right together.

Thanks, I did lay the engine on a tire and the tranny in a tire and using the cherry picker to keep it suspended just above the tire , I picked up the tranny and slid it on. Then I set the engine with the trans attached onto the cradle and bolted it onto the mounts, engine first and then flexed the trans mounts which got a bit bent and battled to line it up but I finally Got it and then attached the small axle which I left attached to the trans onto the ball joint. And then smacked the long axle onto the trans which was a pain becAuse the axle was 'spongy' by the boot by the trans. But I got it to go in and then attached that ball joint .

So next I have to attach the struts/springs to the spindle and then onto getting the fuel lines sorted out , and have a day without rain, ill attach the harness and the calipers and drop the car onto the cradle. Then hoses and hook up the starter wires and the negative batt cable.
Oh I almost forgot , I have to fill the engine with oil and the trans with fluid.

------------------
===Always trying to find time to work on cars===
Louis Duet
Baldwin, Long Island, NY
"My mind spins like helicopter blades." -G. Rossdale
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Blue" <= '85 Fiero GT
3800sc series 2 swap in progress
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Boo" <= '81 Delorean DMC-12
VIN #5835
Stock PRV engine
Peugot 604 Intake manifold
Exhaust headers
Anti-3rd brake light

quote Originally posted by Lou and Blue: Thanks for the input guys! I rolled the engine out of the back boathouse across the grass using plywood pieces and now it's in the driveway. I am thinking of blocking the motor up and joining the four speed to it and then dropping (not literally hopefully) the whole thing onto the cradle and then putting axles on and spindles to control arms. I sure wish I had someone here. I'm trying to do this all alone. I think I'll try a tire with some wood beams to try to stabalaize the motor on the ground and hopefully it won't get damaged. I wish I knew how to successfully post pictures here. This is quite a sight!

You need to hire some help! Should of done a video of rolling across the grass using plywood for a ramp. Reminds me when I was 19 and pulled my GTO engine using a block & tackle with the aid of a walnut tree bough. We used a deep wheel barrel to tote the engine into the house and down the cellar steps. And the wheel barrel only had 1 good handle, the other was broken off, and a soft tire. I'm glad to see you boys are coming up with new innovated techniques.

Spoon

------------------
"Kilgore Trout once wrote a short story which was a dialogue between two pieces of yeast. They were discussing the possible purposes of life as they ate sugar and suffocated in their own excrement. Because of their limited intelligence, they never came close to guessing that they were making champagne." - Kurt Vonnegut

I did it alone and it's in and running know !! Thanks to all for the continuous help!!! Extra thanks go to Scott, Ryan and Dan!

------------------
===Always trying to find time to work on cars===
Louis Duet
Baldwin, Long Island, NY
"My mind spins like helicopter blades." -G. Rossdale
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Blue" <= '85 Fiero GT
3800sc series 2 swap in progress--IT RUNS !
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Boo" <= '81 Delorean DMC-12
VIN #5835
Stock PRV engine
Peugot 604 Intake manifold
Exhaust headers
Anti-3rd brake light